Boxer Ryan Garcia was arrested for vandalism at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Saturday, a Beverly Hills police officer confirmed to Yahoo Sports.
Garcia was in custody Saturday night but was expected to be released later that night.
TMZ initially reported Garcia’s arrest, with video showing a shirtless Garcia being led out of the hotel lobby in handcuffs. Garcia is wearing a helmet covering his face, but his tattoos on his back are visible.
Ryan Garcia was arrested for vandalism at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills on Saturday afternoon. Police sources say he trashed his room/hallway at the luxury hotel. Here was Ryan being taken away by the BHPD.
It’s been a rollercoaster for a few months… pic.twitter.com/BhUgRo4Dzi
-Michael J. babacock (@mikejbabcock) June 9, 2024
Garcia was reportedly accused of damaging hotel property, including his room and hallway, and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, but complied with authorities when they arrived. Any damage over $400 can be considered a crime in California.
TMZ reports that witnesses saw nearly a dozen police cars outside the hotel. Garcia also reportedly received a welfare check on Wednesday after one of his family members feared he needed help. Although he apparently seemed fine, he reportedly acted out to such an extent that the hotel prevented him from drinking that night.
Ryan Garcia had a bizarre 2 months
The arrest is just the latest incident in a surreal string of events since he scored the biggest win of his career over WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. That fight already had some drama because Garcia missed weight by three pounds, costing himself a $1.5 million bet in the process, but then he tested positive for a banned substance.
Although Garcia’s lawyers provided evidence that the positive test for Ostarine was due to contaminated supplements, he still faces a significant suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission. Garcia denied using any banned substances, but also posted some bizarre statements, such as “I’m going to swallow all the steroids.”
There is also a defamation lawsuit from Prime Hydration, an energy drink company owned by Logan Paul, which also alleged that Garcia fabricated text messages in which the influencer/professional wrestler allegedly made light of the deaths in the Gaza Strip.
